#Commentary of Elena Melnik on Poland’s intentions to solve economic and demographic problems at Ukraine’s expense

21.07.2017

Polish politicians are increasingly showing their strategic intentions to profit at the expense of Ukraine, which, according to objective data, is in a catastrophic condition. For example, the director of the strategy department of the Warsaw Enterprise Institute, an adviser to the companies of the Polish defense industry Andrzej Talaga, writes about Ukraine’s problems and how Poland can use this situation in the article of the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.

In particular, Talaga cites data about 1.2 million Ukrainians who this year came to Poland searching for work. According to the Director of the Strategy Department of the Polish Institute, the likelihood that they will stay in Poland is quite high. At the same time, the influx of migrants will increase, as Poland has become an attractive labour market for Ukrainians. Andrzej Talaga cites, how much the Maidan did cost Ukraine: Ukraine’s GDP is $ 83 billion, and in 2013 it was $180 billion. GDP growth in Ukraine in 2016 amounted to 2%, this year it is expected that the economy will grow by 2.2%. But this movement is too slow towards the reconstruction of the country.

Poland’s attitude to Ukraine has always been quite clear: to use neighbour’s resources for own interests. The Polish analyst notes the dangerous demographic situation in Poland, but believes that with the help of Ukraine this problem can be solved painlessly. In other words, Poland regards its neighbour exclusively as a mean to solve its problems.

The data given in the article by Andrzej Talaga are valuable in that he cannot be called an adherent of Russia by any stretch of the imagination. But he clearly calls the price paid by Ukraine for the coup d’état of 2014 – this is about $100 billion, owed from GDP. And Poland together with other EU countries are going to put from this situation to the best use. The only thing that the Polish analyst fears is the potential of Russia, which can hamper the merciless exploitation of Ukrainian resources. Q.E.D.